August 1, 2017

Under President Donald Trump, the United States has become a distracted power. Ongoing investigations into alleged Russian involvement in last year's presidential election cast a long shadow over the presidency, and healthcare policy has become a war of attrition within the President's own party.

Meanwhile, rumblings of discontent and rumours of impending resignations (and actual dismissals) hardly inspire confidence. This has disrupted the administration's ability to think strategically about global affairs. America's position of leadership has suffered as a result.

In South-east Asia, this is evident in how discussions on the US role in regional affairs tend to centre myopically on one thing: freedom of navigation operations, or Fonops, in the South China Sea.

Read more:

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/five-pillars-for-a-us-strategy-on-the-south-china-sea

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